Research report

Raising the participation age

Mark Corney

Using the term ‘raising of the participation age’ (RPA) when referring to both aspects of the legislation, this pamphlet explains how the RPA will radically change the definition of what counts as being in education and training compared with today

The 2008 Education and Skills Act enables a future government to raise the participation age to 18 in England and introduce a statutory right to release for study, underpinned by civil sanctions. The present Labour Government has consistently stated that each element of the legislation would be raised in 2013 to the end of the academic year in which young people are 17 and in 2015 to their 18th birthday. The report goes on to explore Labour's twin-track strategy, political and economical uncertainties, raising the participation age to 17 or 18, actions to keep RPA on track and continuing to target today's Year 7.